Our challenge is to use this environment of dramatic change to push for better governance and for protection of human rights.

If the political environment does not change, the outcome of the 2006 elections becomes increasingly a roll of the dice dependent on how the campaigns are run, party and interest group resources and the intensity of base voters to turn out to vote.

Austin, of course, places a high priority on both citizen involvement and input and protection of the environment. So I think because of that, our regulations do tend to be a little difficult.

There's a role it (the Center) symbolically plays in protection of the natural environment, and there's even more of a practical role it can play under the right leadership. This is a woman who gets it, and is willing to try new things when it comes to protection of the environment.

Ultimately we know it's the government that is responsible for ensuring protection in IDP situations. Our challenge now is to figure out how to support those mechanisms to carry out their mandates.

By creating an artificial environment, we're not stimulating our immune system enough. Germs are immune-stimulants. They challenge you to be prepared.